Is Your Life Portfolio Balanced?
The Guardian writes about the concept of having a “portfolio life.”

“Portfolio life was a term coined by the business guru Charles Handy in his book The Age of Unreason in 1989. Mr Handy explained the concept as “a portfolio of activities – some we do for money, some for interest, some for pleasure, some for a cause… the different bits fit together to form a balanced whole greater than the parts”.”

I totally buy into the concept. To say that one lives for a single thing, whether it be work, children, or pleasure, is a gross simplification.

However, living a portfolio life also means that you have to spend the time managing that portfolio, which includes trimming your losing positions. Alas, I think that may be the hardest part–I know I have a hard time letting go.

Back when I was a sophomore at Stanford, I actually woke up my roommate by screaming in my sleep, “I resign, I resign” as the strain of my many volunteer activities began to get to me.

I took that as a clear sign to cut back, which I did, but it’s a little harder when some of your activities are your kids, or are the job you need to pay the rent.